Jane Austen is one of my favorite classic novelists. Austen has a way of developing her characters and capturing snapshots of life that are deliciously satirical. She somehow does it in a dry way that keeps it from feeling forced.
P. G. Wodehouse and Mary Roberts Rinehart are what I go for when I'm needing a simple, humorous story. They're a quiet space between historical and contemporary novels that feels soothing to me.
When I'm in the mood for fairy tale retellings, which is often, two of my favorites are Kate Stradling and Edith Pattou. They both write in an older tone, making them feel like the origional fairy tales. They also retell some of the less common stories, instead of the same, tired ones we've all heard a thousand times in a thousand different ways. Both of their worlds have a distinct, believable tone.
Historical fiction/romance is the genre I read the most. My favorites are Roseanna M White and Sarah Sundin. Roseanna has very unique plots and beautiful character developement. Sarah's books are set in 1940-1950, one of my favorite time periods. She manages to make me feel the character's emotions far more than most authors. Her characters feel like friends.
I could go on and on.
